{"id":6967,"date":"2014-07-17T18:06:00","date_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/ramadan-fasting-ban-in-china-draws-criticism-69785\/"},"modified":"2014-07-17T18:06:00","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T18:06:00","slug":"ramadan-fasting-ban-in-china-draws-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2014\/07\/ramadan-fasting-ban-in-china-draws-criticism\/","title":{"rendered":"Ramadan fasting ban in China draws criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Washington D.C., Jul 17, 2014 \/ 12:06 pm (CNA<\/a>).- A Chinese province\u2019s ban on the observance of the Ramadan fast among Muslim university students ignores the importance that religion can have for its followers, an American Muslim religious freedom advocate said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cReligion is a fundamental human right. It is a fundamental aspect of humanity that gives our lives meaning,\u201d Asma Uddin, legal counsel with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said July 16.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cReligion informs what we do and how we do it,\u201d she told CNA. \u201cFor many people it\u2019s a question of their deepest relationship of all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThis strong, fundamental relevance of religion should be accommodated everywhere possible by government,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

\tThree Muslim students told BBC News that they have been forced to have meals with professors to ensure they are not fasting. Those who refuse to eat risk punishment and official warnings that could affect their future careers or deny them their degrees.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cMost of us would like to fast,\u201d one student told BBC News. \u201cBut with the current situation most of us have decided against it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe students said that the ban is in force at all universities across China\u2019s western Xinjiang region.<\/p>\n

\tSeveral government departments have also imposed a ban on Ramadan fasting.<\/p>\n

\tUddin said that the ban is \u201cunfortunate\u201d because fasting is \u201ca huge part of the Muslim faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tShe explained the fast is one of the five pillars of the religion. Fasting helps Muslims reflect \u201cnot just on their spiritual state but also on the physical sufferings people all over the world go through every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\tThe Ramadan observance is also accompanied by charitable acts and events.<\/p>\n

\tXinjiang province is the home of the predominantly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority.<\/p>\n

\tThe bans come at a time when the Chinese government is blaming Muslim extremists and foreign terrorist groups for violent attacks in the region<\/p>\n

\tUddin said that Chinese restrictions on Muslims are not new and often go \u201cmuch further\u201d than a ban on fasting. Access to mosques is at times restricted under the rationale of fighting extremism. She said this is motivated by the belief that these restrictions will preclude religious gatherings \u201cthat can serve as a rallying point for different types of political opposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHowever, she said this strategy is counterproductive.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWhere religious practice is suppressed, it actually leads to more unrest and public disorder, as opposed to creating the order that the government thinks it can achieve,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe best way to prevent extremism and violence is to allow for a healthy public version of religious exercise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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